
When the legendary Yuzo Koshiro announced he was working on a new shmup called Earthion for his beloved Mega Drive / Genesis back in 2023, the anticipation of fans all over the world was palpable.
Koshiro – famous for composing music for the likes of Streets of Rage, Revenge of Shinobi and Etrian Odyssey – is a seasoned shmup junkie, so the promise of a classic take on the genre combined with his exceptional audio talents was enough to propel Earthion to the top of many people's most wanted list.
Now, in 2025, Earthion is finally with us – and it shouldn't come as a tremendous shock to learn that it absolutely lives up to its potential, and is arguably one of the best shooters available on Sega's 16-bit system.
Sadly, because that version has been delayed, I'm not able to tell you exactly how it plays on the Mega Drive – but all of the other versions (including the Steam one I've covering here, which has launched ahead of the PlayStation, Xbox and Switch ports) are running the game under emulation, so what you experience on modern systems should be pretty much one-for-one when compared to the cartridge-based 16-bit edition, which launches next year.

One of the reasons it succeeds is that Earthion keeps things relatively simple in terms of gameplay. Your ship has two main offensive options: your standard shot and sub-weapons, which are collected during each level. You can hold two sub-weapons (at least initially) and are able to toggle between them at will; these range from powerful missiles to lock-on lasers and eight-way shots, and they're usually distributed at points in each stage where they are of the most use.
You're able to power up both weapon types by collecting green Solrium gems, dropped by fallen enemies. Your craft can take multiple hits thanks to its shield system, and – should you avoid being hit a second time – these will recharge. When combined with the traditional stock of lives, this creates what feels like a quite forgiving experience, at least in the initial stages.
By keeping the mechanics relatively straightforward, Koshiro and Makoto Wada (the largely unsung director, planner and developer behind the game) have been able to focus their attention on crafting a truly sublime shmup experience.

Earthion's eight levels are diverse and appealing, even after you've flown through them multiple times; the opening stage takes place during a massive space battle between rival fleets, tasking the player with taking down waves of foes as well as avoiding debris from exploding space cruisers. There's a mid-boss and end-of-level boss in each stage, and while some are more impressive than others visually, they all represent a decent level of challenge.
Later levels feature the usual organic, earth and space station tropes, but they're all presented in a way which makes them look and feel fresh – a testament to Wada's amazing artistic ability, honed on titles like Gotta Protectors: Cart Of Darkness and Royal Anapoko Academy. To say this is one of the best-looking Genesis / Mega Drive games would be a grave understatement; it's a visual treat in every regard.
It's also one of the best-sounding games, but then again, that was never really in doubt. Koshiro is the undisputed master of the Mega Drive audio hardware, and in Earthion, he has composed what could well stand as his magnum opus on 16-bit hardware, even if it's slightly different in tone when compared to the techno-style soundtracks he became famous for with the Streets of Rage series.

It feels to me like Earthion's tunes are inspired by the classic shooter series of yesteryear, such as Gradius, Darius and Thunder Force, and with peppy, inspirational songs mixed in with tracks that hint at intergalactic malevolence.
Some of the tunes are so rich in structure you'd swear they were running on more powerful hardware, yet each song retains that classic Mega Drive signature FM sound, right down to the iconic drum beats and scratchy voice samples. There are moments of welcome humour thrown into the audio mix, too, such as a mid-boss who flies on-screen accompanied by R2-D2's famous beeps-and-boops.
Shmup junkies know that this kind of game lives or dies on its challenge; make it too easy, and you'll breeze through in a single sitting (a common problem with many Genesis / Mega Drive shooters back in the '90s). However, if you head in the opposite direction and make things too taxing, you risk alienating a wider audience.

The solution Koshiro and Wada have concocted solves this issue; very much like genre legend Radiant Silvergun, Earthion allows you to retain your progress between play sessions, carrying over lives, power levels and expansion slots via an old-school password system (a save system would have been preferable, but I'll let it slide).
At this point, it's worth explaining how this expansion system works. If you finish a level with an 'Adapation Pod' as one of your sub-weapons, you'll get the option to permanently enhance one aspect of your ship.
This could be boosting the maximum power level of your weapons (10 being the maximum), adding in another weapon power / shield slot or altering the balance of your slots so you can retain more sub-weapons, but at the expense of a power / shield slot. You can also choose to start the next stage with a new sub-weapon or add an extra life to your stock, if you wish.

This system means that newcomers can ease themselves into Earthion's challenge gently, starting the game on 'Easy' mode and using the Adaptation Pods to augment the power of their ship before tackling the game's default 'Normal' difficulty setting. Once you're comfortable on 'Normal' (and finishing the game on this setting is no mean feat), you can move on to the 'Hard' and 'Hotshot' modes, which ramp up the challenge massively.
What makes this approach so appealing is that it's entirely optional; if you're a shump veteran, you can ignore the upgrade path offered by the Adaptation Pods, just as you can choose to ignore the ability to continue using credits when you run out of lives. Whichever direction you approach the game from, there's plenty of longevity here, more so than your typical 16-bit shmup – as well as special 'Challenge' levels which offer unique stage setups and expect you to obtain the best score possible.
Still, Earthion does eventually come to an end; even the most novice of players will reach the conclusion in the space of a few days on 'Easy' mode, so your long-term enjoyment is going to be determined by how much you fancy digging back into the game's levels, and how much the music and overall retro vibe chime with you personally. The inclusion of an online leaderboard also helps extend the game's lifespan (for obvious reasons, this won't be included in the 16-bit edition).

While this is effectively the Mega Drive ROM running on modern hardware, there are some extra treats included if you're playing on Steam or a console. You can tinker around with a selection of filters to truly nail that 'retro' look (although I have to admit I turned all of the filters off so I could properly appreciate the stunning pixel artwork), as well as alter various audio settings.
It's even possible to play some of the early demo versions of the game, which are fascinating from a historical perspective; they show how Earthion has evolved in subtle ways over the past few years.
Conclusion
Earthion is everything I'd hoped it would be when Yuzo Koshiro first announced it; a challenging shmup which pushes Sega's 16-bit hardware to its limits in terms of visuals and audio whilst combining a high level of polish with tight gameplay and plenty of longevity.
On a system that has more than its fair share of quality shooters, Earthion stands out as one of the best – and while purists have to wait a little longer to play the 'real' version of the game on the Mega Drive / Genesis, this emulated edition is perhaps the ideal way to experience it thanks to creature comforts such as screen filters and granular control over audio and visual settings, plus the addition of things like online leaderboards and prototype builds of the game.

There will be some who might grumble at how old-school Earthion is when compared to modern shmups, but those complaints miss the point; Koshiro and collaborator Makoto Wada sought to create the best possible shooter for the Genesis / Mega Drive, bound by the technical constraints of hardware that is now over 30 years old. They have achieved that goal in spectacular fashion, making this a must-have for fans of the genre and those who appreciate retro gaming in general.
Comments 35
This looks absolutely aces! If this comes to Switch/Switch 2, I’ll be sure to pick it up. I do love a proper old skool style shmup.
Off topic, but I’m still really hoping UFO 50 makes its way to Switch at some point. I was hoping it might’ve got an announcement during today’s Partner Showcase. Nevermind, I’m sure it’ll hit the eShop soon enough.
I completely forgot about this. What a pleasant way to be reminded of its existence. It's here, it's available and it's absolutely superb.
I will hang off and wait for the Switch release.
Hoping it comes to PS5 👍
Is the ROM easily removed from Steam?
"Password system might be too 'old school' for some"
who?
HELL YEAH!! Besides Death Stranding 2, this is my number 2 most anticipated game at the moment. Cannot wait for it to release on Switch! Will also buy the ROM if and when that becomes available so I can play on Analogue Pocket. Hoping it plays like Gleylancer, which is my favorite shmup.
@The_Nintend_Pedant Having to enter the password each time you want to continue using your progress is nostalgic, but not very practical. I guess it's because the Mega Drive / Genesis version won't have battery backup included, and this ROM is based on that. I would have preferred the game to just remember my progress without having to input a code, but maybe that's just me?
Yuzo Koshiro was here in Brazil this past weekend (at Retrocon).
I'm terrible at shmups, but I'll keep an eye out for the Switch version of Earthion when it's available.
Spent the last hour with the Steam version... It's awesome!
Is there some way to buy this, and lift the ROM out to load up on an FPGA device (for instance)? I wish the website had a “buy the ROM” option.
@Damo
If it's you, then my gentle suggestion is to simply say
"CON - I would have preferred the game to just remember my progress without having to input a code"
I consider it a bit more honest, and the reader can decide for themselves if they agree.
Additionally you avoid the vague passivity that
journalistsbad faith actors use on certain platforms ("some people are saying...")👍✌️
BTW I've been following your coverage of this game for a long time, and I'm super pumped that it finally is out and got a good score! Thanks for the review and everything else 😊👍
Given they extracted Darius and Tetris from the Mega Drive Mini, and Star Fox 2 was extracted from the SNES Mini and runs on original hardware, I can't imagine this won't get ripped and be running on flash carts long before the official 16-Bit release.
@jesse_dylan
They absolutely should have done this, especially if the ROM is easily ripped and spread like wildfire.
I'm getting this for Yuzo's music alone.
Yuzo Koshiro also recently created the Happy Console Gamer theme song. It's amazing like all of his work.
Mmm would really want a buy the rom. Not sure if i should wait for the deitch version now or just get this.
@damo can i buy this for the rom?
@The_Nintend_Pedant His decimation of the written word continues unabated.
Again I wish Sega would publish these games, leaving money on the table. 😆
@WileyDragonfly "Is the ROM easily removed from Steam?"
Why don't you buy it? Wait...your comments history man, what the hell??? 😆
Just finished it twice on the Steam Deck, the music is totally excellent, the difficulty is just right for me and I love the upgrade system where you can prioritise weapon variety of shield boosts. Can’t wait to play this on my actual Megadrive!
Great review Damien! Playing it now. Aside from booting up with a really insufficient screen filter (and suffering wild stick drift in bluetooth mode when it's set to steam input) the game itself once it gets going is kind of a beautiful thing. Who doesn't melt over a Mega Drive shmup in 2025!
I'm going to stubbornly ignore those passwords and plough on.
@WileyDragonfly
Yes, random swipes at Damo's writing ability aside (I'm rather a fan despite having the occasional critique,) I am also on team "use the right word if you know better" 👍
Yep absolutely amazing, playing on Steam deck, hooked up to my arcade cab. Fantastic stuff. Been waiting along time for this. I have preordered the physical Switch version along with the custom joypad. Will definitely get the Megadrive version next year.
@Damo There was a Genesis game I backed a few years ago called Tanglewood that also uses password saves, but in the Steam version (which includes the ROM, in fact, they even advertise this on the Steam page) the emulator they use has custom hooks to basically auto-input the password and essentially act as a save feature, they probably could have done something similar to this.
Disappointed about the lack of an available cartridge (or ROM), but I'm willing to give a shout-out to password systems!
One nice thing about passwords is that they are the ultimate cross-platform saves! You can buy this game on any platform you want, and can pick up your "file" on a different platform at any time.
I get why people prefer the convenience of save files, but I appreciate the old-school charm of passwords and think they come with overlooked perks.
And yeah, would love to know if the ROM is included or if this is just a PC-only version. According to the Steam forums apparently there is a file called game.bin but it's not clear if that's the ROM since they could not get it to work on an Everdrive or MiSTer.
Can't wait to dive into this when I decide which version to buy.
I'm no ace at shmups, and it's a bit much for me to hack some of today's higher end shmups (forget bullet hell... Ikaruga sealed that for me), but this game seems to be right in line with those yesteryear shmups I "could" play. Thank goodness they have a good difficulty-- If I get good enough I may consider the harder challenge. I won't chase this game to the ends of the Earth but I hope it comes to Switch. Plus, I love Yuzo Koshiro's music... I may have to chase down the OST just because.
Great review, glad to see this is finally out and seems to have cashed in on all its potential. I'd say Michiru Yamane edged out Koshiro with that Bloodlines OST but he's an absolute master of his craft and I can't think of a better type of game for him to helm.
Being able to play demo versions is a fascinating inclusion and not a bad idea for extras. This sounds great. I didn't realize this one was coming out on the 31st. It's been a busy day with the full release of Ninja Gaiden Ragebound(the demo was quite good), and the demo release of Shinobi Art of Vengeance(full game to be out in a month). Shinobi is what had my attention today, as it came out of nowhere and I stumbled upon it by chance. But Earthion sounds great from the review. Looks great too, but that was obvious for a while. Glad to see it's complete. Digital version on PC was always going to be the version for me. What a cool day to be a retro gamer.
Hopefully GOG gets a release of the game. In the website of Earthion they mention a physical DRM-free PC version.
I would love to buy the ROM for my Mega Drive, but I suppose that only the Pro everdrive will be supported.
@cawley1 years ago I bought the Xeno Crisis ROM direct from bitmap bureau. I wish everyone making games on old hardware would sell them to us, but I respect if they don’t want to. I’d think it’d bring them extra revenue. In fact, I like XC so much I’m likely going to pick up the BB Collection also containing Battle Axe and Final Vendetta, and I already have the standalones of those. I’d never risk if I didn’t know I really liked XC.
@The_Nintend_Pedant
I don't see a problem there at all, that's a con that makes sense. The password is nostalgic, sure, but it's lengthy and cumbersome in 2025. Games like Radiant Silvergun have been saving your shmup progress character-free since 1998 and before.
It's not a massive issue, of course, but if you're following the path of maintaining your gains on each new playthrough, it's a minor slog, and if it wasn't to be included in the Mega Drive cart for battery backup cost reasons, an auto save can still easily be included in the PC and console versions. In fact, I'd request an update to append it!
Back on topic, Earthion looks fantastic. Thanks for the review!
@Tom-Massey
IMO - when you are writing for publication, and you are about to say something like "for some," you should always ask yourself "who?" and then write that answer instead. If you can't answer "who?" then you might be employing a straw man.
I'll just come out and say it: It's very much in the Fox News, alt right playbook to do this ("lotta people are saying,") and it's aesthetically and intellectually dissatisfying in my personal opinion.
But I think you can just own the comment (or in this case "CON,") it's valid. 👍
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